Pass the Internet Freedom Amendment to Protect an Open Internet

We depend upon a free Internet to ensure an open society, to allow small businesses to compete, and to maintain the connections that sustain our lives. Unfortunately, a free Internet has come under repeated attack, most recently by President Donald Trump, who has promised to “shut down” parts of the Internet and to block Net Neutrality – the concept that an Internet service provider should not be allowed by law to charge consumers more to access certain websites.

It’s time to protect a free Internet for all coming generations. The American people shouldn’t worry that their ability to communicate and conduct business online will be interrupted by the whims of each new Congress or Administration. We must demand that Congress pass and that our state legislatures ratify a Constitutional Amendment to make sure we maintain a free Internet.

We have decided that some things are so important they must be removed from the whims of each passing Congress and Presidency – the right to vote, the prohibition on racial discrimination, the right to due process, and free speech. It is clear by now that the ability to communicate and conduct business unimpeded on the Internet is a fundamental right that must be preserved.

There are 5 principles that an Internet Freedom Amendment must embody:

1. The free expression of ideas and information on the Internet shall not be hindered by the federal or state governments, or by any provider of Internet service.

2. It shall be unlawful for any provider of Internet service to block access to legal content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices; to impair or degrade lawful Internet traffic on the basis of content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices; or to favor some lawful Internet traffic over other lawful traffic in exchange for consideration of any kind.

3. No information gathered by any government official may be utilized against any person under the jurisdiction of the United States unless gained through a properly obtained warrant, in order to protect the people's right to privacy.

4. Each individual has a right to privacy that includes the right to control one's personal information and one's personal domain. Further, the right to access the Internet shall not be contingent upon an individual agreeing to the disclosure of their personal information, with this provision applying to all public and private entities.

5. Nothing in the Internet Freedom Amendment is to be construed as limiting Congress’s or the states' ability to prohibit the dissemination or facilitation of unlawful activities.

Only we can prevent a free and open Internet from being a thing of the past.